All is dross
by Links1467
Summary: Jade typed furiously at her keyboard, trying desperately to get everything in her head onto the screen that she didn't look up at once since she started. When she finished, it was as if she were released from a trance, and she leaned back in her chair, satisfied. And then, she looked up. A fluffy jori story about two girls falling in love (AU) COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

A/N This is my first fan fiction. I've already written more chapters for this I just wanna see if they're worth posting.

R&R

...

Jade typed furiously at her keyboard, trying desperately to get everything in her head onto the screen that she didn't look up at once since she started. When she finished, it was as if she were released from a trance, and she leaned back in her chair, satisfied.

And then, she looked up.

A girl, a beautiful girl, who had clearly been staring was sitting at the next booth with some friends. She blended back into her groups conversation and now it was her turn to stare. Her most notable feature, she thought, was her hair. A gorgeous brown, long and wavy. But she found herself mistaken when the girl looked her way again. Warm brown eyes peeked from behind her bangs, and revealed themselves when she tucked her hair behind her ear and waved shyly. 'Shit' she thought. 'Caught'. And before she could wave back, a blush covered the tan girls cheeks and she was left motionless. This just made her smile grow as she waved more confidently and her friends took notice of their exchange.

Finally, Jade waved back. If she remembered how to smile she'd have done that too. The girls friends made a few mocking gestures and playfully pushed her out of the booth as she stood up. Jades eyes never left her as she approached. "Hi" she said, voice light and friendly. "Can I sit?" And Jade wants to listen but she hasn't mapped every detail of this girls face yet, so the words just don't register. The girls smile falters and her brain kick starts at the expression. "Yeah! Yeah. Sorry um, yeah." She rants, shaking her head clear and closing her laptop. The girl sat down and extended a hand accompanied by a warm smile. "Tori" She shook her hand dumbly. 'Soft skin' she thought, 'Tori'. Tori looked at her expectantly, her smile sloping to the side. Shit, she thought. "Jade" A puzzled look captured her features, then the smile was back.

"You don't look like a Jade" She thought about it. Her hair is black and flows to the end of her biceps, which were toned and very visible in the tank top she wore. Her jeans were the darkest clean ones she could find that day, and clean was a relative term. Tori took her silence as offense. "Not that I don't like it! I mean its beautiful!" The implications widened her eyes. "Not that you're not too, I mean-" she appraised Jade with her eyes "just not a Jade. It sounds like a princess or something and you look more like the knight." A blush covered her cheeks and her face fell in her hands for a moment before she started speaking again "Not that-" Jades laugh cut her off. "I'm sorry, I do that, but feel free to cut me off anytime." Jades voice, always sounding like it was cracking like she spoke with two voices, one soft and low and the other just and octave higher, quietly escaped from the small smile on her face "No no, I like it." Tori raised and eyebrow in question. Jade shrugged "Not much of a talker." "Jade, we're going to get along wonderfully."

...

They talk for a while. Or really, Tori talks and reminds herself to ask a question every few monologues. "...and she just drops it!" Jade gives a quiet laugh

"So where are _you_ from?"

"Right here"

"Really?!" She nods.

"New York City?!" She nods somehow even more unenthusiastically.

"That's insane!" She nods again. Toris smile turns sly. "So i bet you know this place pretty well by now, huh?" She nods again and Tori laughs. "Okay, well, you've gotta show me something only a true New Yorker would know about" Jade thinks for a moment, then says "Okay" Tori clasps her hands together "Brilliant. I can't wait, Saturday?" Jade thinks, then nods. "Great" she says, pulling her hands apart with her fingers still interlaced and rests her chin on them. The corners of her mouth lift into a smile that sends Jades heartbeats straight to her ears, and she offers a toothy grin in response. And after a bit of mutual staring, the moment is broken by a hand on Tori shoulder.

A young African American boy with a cocky smile has made his way from Toris table of friends. "Sorry to break your staring contest but uh" he pauses and swings his head around to make eye contact with her "time to go." He said with a small laugh. Tori laughed with him and said "Damn, I had her on the ropes." She unfolded her hands and stood up. "Wait for the rematch" Her smile faltered at the sound of Jades voice, then was renewed with vigor as she laughed.

As the two turned to join their friends and leave, a girl from their group noticed and walked up to Tori and said something quietly that Jade was only able to her the end of. "- ber you idiot" Tori gasped and turned . "Your number" she said pointing a small pair of finger guns. Jade nodded in understanding and looked around her booth for something to fulfill the request. Tori chuckled and handed her her phone. She typed as fast as she did on her computer and handed it back.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Thanks for the reviews, I really want to keep posting so thanks for the support/excuse

...

West

West

Jade West

Ever since she read the name in her phones address book its been bouncing around her head like a song. Curse of the musician, she supposes. Ah well, she sighs as hums the name again.

West

...

Saturday comes too slowly, but it does come.

And a phone call comes with it. A number she didn't recognize lights up her phone. Butterflies fill the pit of her stomach, she's been waiting for this all day. "Hello?" "Hi!" Every one of them takes flight. "Hey, Tori?" "Yup" "Um, How are you?" She asks, sounding unsure. Tori laughs into the receiver and Jade wishes she'd pressed record when she answered. "Great, you?" "Great" And she laughs again, and Jade even manages a small chuckle. "So." Tori says more serious. Silence. "So when?!" "Oh! Yeah that." She hears Tori mutter a 'wow' on the other end. She smiles and continues "When were you thinking?" " Well you've picked the venue." "So you should pick the time." Tori sighed happily and looked the clock. "7?" "7" She confirmed. "I'll text you my address"

...

By the time she pulled up in front of the apartment complex it was 7:24. She shrugged. She'd been later for more import an things. Not to say this wasn't important to her, if the way she was shaking was any indication, but she had a feeling Tori would understand.

She texted her and a few minutes later she emerged, dressed in a simple rose print dress. Jade was dumbstruck just the same. She climbed in an immediately buckled her seat belt. When she was done she faced Jade who was busy staring. She smiled brightly "Hello" A few seconds later the spell broke and Jade tore her eyes away and put them back to the road. Toris laughter almost drowned out the quiet "hey" she managed to throw ba She started the engine and was about to take off when Tori cleared her throat. She cast her a question look. "Seatbelt." "Ahhh" She buckled her seat belt and sat back. "Ready to go?" Tori nodded triumphantly. And off they go...

...

When they're close to their 1st destination, she pulls over. "Are we here?" Tori asks confused. "No." She says quietly. She leans over and opens the glove box. "What're you..." "Shhh..." She says giggling. She pulls out a blind fold and leans back in her seat. She displays the item. "Necessary?" She nods enthusiastically. Tori sighs and faces the window. Jade ties the blind fold and drives the last bit to the ferry.

"Hold on." She gets out and hurries to the passengers side and opens the door. Tori holds out her hand but Jade swoops down and covers her ears. Damn seagulls. Tori laughs and carefully gets out. Jade turns them towards the ferry and kicks the door shut. Slowly she walks them aboard. She quickly slides her right hand to Toris necks twists in front of her, covering her ears again. Her smile is infectious. Jades grows at the sight of their fellow ferry riders trying to guess there situation. She rolls her eyes and trains them back on her companion. "If this is a prank" They laugh. She uses the few minutes left of the ride to study her. The tops of her eyebrows peak out from the blindfold. Dark brown. The bridge of her nose is littered with freckles. Her lips are small and pink. They look so soft, she thinks. Neither of them know she's leaning in until there noses brush. Startled, she thinks she should pull back, but the blush that spreads on Toris cheeks keeps her close. Tori giggles and starts an eskimo kiss. Involuntarily, Jade loosens her grip and sucks in a shaky breath. She's never been good with affection. Toris head tilts in her hands. "Are you o-" The ships horn goes off, letting passengers know they've arrived. Tori jumps and Jades hold strengthens again. They both laugh and she withdraws her hands. "I guess we don't need that now" she says in mock anger. Tori unties it and immediately scans her surroundings.

"Coney Island?" She nods coyly. "I said New York!" She enunciates with a light slap on the arm. "As someone who's lived in the city my whole life, I know the best place is outside it." Tori narrows her eyes. Jadr can see her arms raising but before they get to her hips she grabs her hands and starts dragging her towards the docks.

A/N sorry for those of you who thought the # was important, I hope you still like it.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Sorry about the mix ups, this was originally a story about different people named Riley and Helena- hence the title "all is dross [that is not Helena]" from Faust. Wont happen again.

...

After a couple rides they go to a food stand and then they sit at one of the picnic tables. They spend a couple minutes stealing from and feeding each other fried dough. When Tori brushes some powdered sugar off her cheek, she wonders if her heart stopped.

And now, she's saved the best for last. Getting here later in the day gave her the perfect amount of time before dark, and now that it's here, its time for action. As they walk the down the boardwalk hand in hand, she slowly leads them towards the ferris wheel. Slow enough to seem purposeless. As Tori realizes where they're headed she slows down. Feeling her lag behind Jade stops. She lifts her eyebrows and lightly tugs her hand. Tori opens, then closes her mouth. She shakes her head instead. Jade steps closer and takes her other hand. She tilts her head in question. "I-" she starts, then closes her mouth. "I... I dontlikeheights" Jade nods knowingly. Her hands slide up and down her arms comfortingly. "If you don't want to, we wont." Tori smiles up at her. "But" Toris smile drops and Jade raises a finger in defense "I promise if we do go, you wont regret it." She thinks it over. She thinks about heights and the fear is there, but she looks up and sees Jades small smile and green eyes, her expression that says trust in a language she wants to be fluid in. Jade squeezes her arms once and her mind is made up.

"Lets do it." "Yesss" Jade hisses and grabs her hand again, walking backwards towards the ride. Tori looks at her, and then the behemoth behind her. As Jade faces the ride Tori closes her eyes and thinks, just keep your eyes on the pretty girl Tor, you can do this. Jade hands the conductor their tickets. As the previous session ends she feels her stomach churn with fear, but Jade looks back at her with wide eyes and squeezes her hand in excitement. She needed that, and finds herself strangling her hand in return. Jade gets in a car first. Tori puts one foot in and feels the car rock. "No no no" she says pulling it back. She meets her friends eyes and they look almost hurt. Immediately she regrets backing out and launches herself in the car. The man closes the door and returns to his post waiting for a few more riders. Their cart goes up one.

Toris eyes are screwed shut and she's breathing heavily. Smirking, Jade leans in lies her arm along the back of the car behind Tori. "Breathe out through your mouth" She cracks a smile at that, despite her state. Her breathing evens out and, slowly, she opens her eyes to find they had moved up 2 spaces while she was out. She lets out a shaky breath and fixes her eyes on her companion, who smiles awkwardly then, catching on, moves closer. She moved the arm that was lying on the back of the car to Toris shoulders. They turn as much as they can in their seats and face each other. Jade wiggles her eyebrows in an attempt to loosen her up. She raises an eyebrow but laughs. She rests her head on the arm on the back of the car and smiles. "This was fun." Her smile drops "Well today was fun." She corrects. "I'm still having fun" Jade says.

The cars start moving and Tori grips the bottom of Jades shirt for dear life. Said girl sits back and pulls her into her side. Tori ducks her head into her neck and the confidence she mustered for the scared girl quickly disappears. As they near the top she whispers "Hey" "wut" Tori mumbles into her collar. "Look up" And she does. Being so close to the sky she can see how distant the stars are from each other, and them. "Wow." "Right." Jade rests her head on the back of the car, and Tori on her arm. "It's like.." Jade rolls her head to the side and listens "like space is just wrapped around us..." Jade stifles a laugh and beams smiles at the side of Toris face. After a couple more seconds of this Tori eyes shift to her. She tries to face her but they're too close and when tries to move back the movement rocks the car and suddenly her inhibitions are back with a vengeance. Her vice grip on Jade resumes. Jades sighs and rubs her back. After a minute Tori pulls back from their embrace. "You good?" She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, then nods. "Thank you" "Anytime." 'Really' she thinks.

The ride is almost over, and Jade still hasn't made her move. In her defense she didn't expect her date to be terrified the whole time. She faces Tori abruptly, intent on just going for it, but when Tori flinches at the quick movement she freezes. A small smile blooms on Toris face. It quickly turns devious as she leans closer. "You're pretty." she says softly. Jade laughs dejectedly and drops her head. When she raises it her cheeks are red. "Awww" Tori coos as she takes them in her hands. Jade bats them away and mutters "shut up" "No I'm cold, this is great" she teases, still trying. She slows her movements and Jade acquiesces, sliding her own hands onto her wrists. Tori kisses her hard, but only for a second. Her eyes shoot open and surprise is written all over her face. Tori bursts with laughter and does it again, but softer. This time when she pulls back she sees a content smile on her dates face.

...

A/N it says fluff for a reason


	4. Chapter 4

When the get off the ferris wheel Tori loosens her death grip on Jades hand but doesn't let go until she's sure her legs can support her. "Ready to go?" While Tori mulls it over, her eyes land on the balloon darts. She'd spent the first 10 minutes there trying to win Jade a prize with an obvious lack of skills matched only by her determination. Jade follows her eyes and groans. "I only have 2 more dollars, come on." Tori says dragging them towards the stand. "I don't even like stuffed animals..." Jade mutters.

When the worker sees Tori coming his smile grows two sizes. "Here for another try?" "Yup" she says handing him a dollar. He places 2 darts on the counter and hands her another. She spends a whole minute squinting at the balloons and shifting the dart back and forth, only to have it hit the edge of the board and fall to the ground. "Dammit." She picks up another. "Point the tip upwards" Jade offers. She nods and takes a deep breath before launching the dart into the board. At least it stuck. "Shhh" she says to Jade, hastily picking up her last shot. Jade gives the worker a "what did I do?" look and he shakes his head. Her last shot goes a little to the left and the worker jumps to the side impulsively. Jade laughs and Tori apologizes profusely. "Not even a scratch on me, and you know, I think that was pretty close! How about another round?" He asks. Jade rolls her eyes and wait for Tori to give in. Instead she turns to her, looking so small. She casts her eyes on the ground and says "I'm sorry Jade. I can't get you a stuffed animal." Jade smiles down at her.

"Not even one of the monkeys." "Mhmm". "Not even-"

"Tori" Said girl looks up, smiling coyly. "Give me the dollar." She hands Jade the dollar and stands to the side. "Hit me." He hands her 3 darts and one after the other, she pops 3 different colored balloons. "Whoa!" The worker yells. "All 3 sizes!" "Just give us the monkey" she says tiredly. He hands her the monkey and she turns to Tori. "Now can we go?" Tori nods, eyes glues to the plush toy. They start walking towards the docks.

Jade brushes her hand against Tori's as the walk, hoping the other girl would do the work for her. Once again, affection, not her forte. When she doesn't take the bait Jade sees she's pouting. She nudges her shoulder with her own. " You okay?" She says knowingly. "Hmm? Oh yeah. I'm fine." Jade laughs and hugs the toy. "You sure?" Tori looks at the toy and opens her mouth, then shuts it and meets Jades eyes. "Yup." Jade laughs again and shoves the toy into her chest. "Here's the stupid monkey" "But you won it" she says, smiling down at it. "Yeah, for you. Obviously." Tori tucks it under her arm and entwines their hands.

When they get on the ferry they stand near the water and Jade leans back against the railing. Tori stands next to her, playing with the tuft of fur on her new toys head. Jade watches her, and shakes her head. "What?" Tori says, narrowing her eyes. Jade bites her lip and shrugs. Tori smiles and leans back into Jade, so she throws her an arm around her.

When the ferry arrives they walk like that back to her car. The drive back home is filled with Tori's voice. From her first time at a carnival, to how she totally could've hit a balloon if she had more money. When they pull up in front of her complex she's moved on to coming up with names for her monkey.

"Maybe muggles...Or scruffy!" Jade laughs as she turns off the car and faces her. "Well what are you're ideas, then?" Jade puts a hand on her knee and smirks "I don't care." then closes the distance between them. When they pull away they linger for a moment. Toris eyes lift from her her lips to her eyes, then fall again. "Maybe Jerry?" Jade smiles "Perfect" she mumbles and kisses her again. "Or Timmy?" "Love it" Another kiss. Tori tries to pull away again but Jade tangles her hand in her hair and deepens the kiss. When they part they still don't go far. "I should..." Jade nods and leans back in her seat. Tori opens the door and steps out. "Bye Jade." "Bye monkey" Tori laughs and closes the door. Jade waits until she's inside to pull away.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N I don't own victorious. I have to say that right?

...

"This is so stupid" Jade paces around their living room, glaring at the phone on top of the coffee table. "But you won't do it, 'cause you know I'm right." Beck says pointedly. She stops and looks at him. "Shut up" She continues her route. "You hung out 2 days ago, do you want her to know how lame you are?" "I'm not lame, I'm..." "Desperate?" He offers. She shoots him a glare she wishes was a lethal as it looks. She stops behind the couch.

She sighs. "I had fun, okay." She says quietly. He turns and gives her a condescending smile. "And she did too!" She adds, shoving him off the couch. "Ow! Look, I'm just trying to help. I'm just amazed _the_ Jade West found someone worthy of her attention!" He says, standing and brushing off his pants. "It's not my fault everyone else is so boring." She retorts, rounding the couch and stopping in front of the table. " And yet you spend so much time with me, I must be so special" He says airily, pressing a hand to his chest. "Well I don't come around for your dating advice, so shut it."

"3 days is the rule Jade!" His voices raises as he stands at the other side, facing her. "A rule for straight people!" She yells back, gripping the tables edge. "And look how well were doing!" He wails, gripping his side.

"Don't! Call!" He screams.

"Shut! Up!" She yells the same way.

There's a tense moment of silence before Jades phone erupts between them with an obnoxious ringtone and Tori's name surrounded by exclamation points. Jade smiles instantly but drops it when her best friend filters back into her vision. "Can I answer it?" She asks teasingly. He throws his hands up and storms off towards his room. Jade laughs and answers the phone. "Hello?" "Hi Jade."

"Hey Tori. What's going on?" she says with false casualty. "Me and some friends are going to a concert this weekend, and I was hoping you'd go with me. What do you say?" Jade thinks about Beck and the way his nonchalant attitude affects girls. "I say...what band?" "Oh! Duh..." She chuckles "The front bottoms." Never heard of them. "Then yes. I'll go with you." She hears muffled cheers from a few different voices on Tori's end and she rolls her eyes. "Miss popular, eh?" "Huh?" "What're there, like 10 people with you?" "Oh them. I mean- I have the TV on." She says loudly. One of her friends must disagree because Jade hears more muffled speaking followed by Tori 'quietly' telling them to shut up.

"So should I pick you up again?" She says, drawing Tori's attention back to her. "Yeah that be great! It's a little upstate and the subway isn't ideal. Although you meet new people, but you probably don't like that, and its so dirty..." She rants. "Tori!" "Hmm?" She says dreamily. "What time?!" She laugh/yells. "Oh, pick me up around...8." She laughs and adds "And eh, actually 8 this time, we've got a drive ahead of us." Jade smiles into the receiver. "I can't wait to see you again." She says quietly. "Me too." Tori says. A few moments of silence. "Bye Jade." "Bye monkey." Tori wants to discourage the nickname but the way Jade says it this time is so... Kind. Affectionate. Anything but teasing. When they hang up Jade sits down and stretches, content.

"I can't waaaiit to see you monkey!" Jade grabs a pillow and launches it at Beck, who yelps loudly and retreats to his room again.

...

When Jade pulls into the complex's parking lot, she sees Tori surrounded by people. She recognizes two of them from the diner, the funny boy and the red haired girl. She contemplates backing away but swallows her fear. She parks her car and walks over the the large group. "Um, hi." Jade says quietly. Their laughter dies down as they all turn to stare. Jade feels her stomach tighten, but then Tori bounces out of the sea of strangers with a warm smile glued to her face. "Hi!" She yells, throwing her arms around Jades neck. Startled, it takes her a minute to return the embrace. Her arms snake around Tori's waist and the shorter girl smiles into her neck. Jade closes her eyes and buries her nose in her hair. Before she can really enjoy it, its over and Tori is introducing her.

"These are my _best_ friends. Andre" she gestures to the boy from the diner "Cat" a short red haired girl beaming at her "Robbie" tall, skinny, and clearly nervous "And my sister Trina" a girl who vaguely resembles Tori nods. "Guys, this is Jade." Tori says looking up at her proudly, taking one of her hands in both of hers. Jade smiles at her then faces the group. She gives a small wave with her free hand. "Hi" she offers. "Nice to officially meet you" says Andre. "Right!" Yells cat. "I almost followed her to the booth! Tori's only told us that you're a writer. I mean who are you?!" Jade freezes but Tori just laughs. She's holding onto Jades entire arm now she rests her forehead against her shoulder. Jade smiles down at her form and answers "I'm Jade West. I'm 22, and I write for a web show I created with some friends." "What's it called?" Asks Trina. " Ah, you probably haven't heard of it..." She mumbles to the ground. "It's awesome! It's about the zombie apocalypse but we see it from the zombies perspective..." Jade spaces out while Tori talks her up to her friends. She must be doing a good job 'cause they keep throwing Jade impressed looks. She thinks about her life. She's always been the good intentioned loser who crushes on the popular girl. That didn't end so well in highschool, but now here's this beautiful girl, surrounded by friends, and she can't stop staring at Jade.

"She's just...amazing." Tori says smiling up at her, sliding her hands back down. "What's amazing is how cheap these tickets were!" Yells Andre. "Gotta love the indie scene." Says Trina. "Are you pumped!?" Robbie yells directly to Jade, a bit overzealously. She leans back when the words hit her but relaxes again. "Very...'pumped!'" she says. "Then lets hit it!" Andre says, eyeing his watch. They all split up, headed for their respective cars. "So you like them right?" "Well we only talked for like 5 minutes, and most of that was you bragging about how _amazing_ I am. But sure, they're great." Tori laughs and shakes her head. "I mean the band." "Oh. Yeah they're... The best..." She lies terribly. Tori laughs again. "You'll like them." She squeezes her hand before letting go and climbing into the car. 'Doesn't matter' Jade thinks.

...


	6. Chapter 6

Jade follows Tori's sister to the concert. On the way Tori plays some of the bands songs for Jade. "Nice." Jade nods to the beat. "Is this the type of music you play?" "Pretty much. It's just me and my guitar." Tori says, smiling fondly. When they arrive, they park near each other and all get out. They walk in a group to the venue, with Jade on the outskirts holding Tori's hand while she talks animatedly to her friends. They reach the door and hand the guy their tickets. Now they're standing in a large dark room packed with people waiting for the band.

Tori's squeezing the skin off her bones. "Excited?" Tori looks at her and deflates. "Yeah." She says bashfully, and loosens her grip on Jades hand. Andre turns in front of them "Tori loves these guys. She's been trying to see them since highschool!" Tori's still looking the ground so Jade stares and waits for her to look up. "Cool" she says quietly. They smile shyly at each other. "Okay..." Andre says, facing the stage again.

A light shines on the front of the stage showing only a microphone. Tori eyes it with rapt attention. Jade gives a quiet laugh and faces the stage too. A man comes into the bit that's lit up and grabs the microphone. "Ladies and gentleman, without further ado, The front bottoms!" The rest of the stage lights up and reveals the band. The man puts the microphone back in the stand and runs off stage. A man with a guitar steps forwards and occupies the space. "How're you guys doing tonight?" The crowd yells in return, and Toris probably the loudest.

...

At first Jade just watches Tori dance with her friends and sing along, but when Tori sees what shes doing she puts a stop to it. She grabs Jades wrists and pulls them by her hips, pulling on them alternately and by extension Jade in a sort of dance. The girl just laughs and grabs her hips and pulls her closer. Tori rest her forearms on Jades shoulders. Jades going for intimate but "Love is simple, just like mud. If you play the dirt then ill play the water, all we gotta do is tou-hu-huch" and Tori freaks to the beat and starts dancing again, twisting side to side moving Jade with her again. Jade laughs and gets into it, tugging on Toris hips. When the song ends Jades out of breath but Tori still screams her applause and claps behind Jades head.

The band starts a slow song and the mood changes quickly. Jade gets the intimacy she was hoping for. Behind her Jade can see Cat and Robbie in a similar position and Andre offering his hand to a random girl. When her eyes land on Tori's sister, the girl is staring at her. Jade jumps and looks back at Tori. Said girl is smiling up at her and swaying to the music. She moves her lips to her ear. "You're sisters staring at us." She whispers. Tori chuckles "Ah, shes just jealous. " Jades looks to her again and shes staring at a boy in she crowd longingly. "Sure..." Jade says disbelievingly. "I love this song..." Tori says dreamily, stealing Jades attention. Her eyes are almost closed and her swaying has spread to Jade. Jade listens and the song is sad but Tori looks completely content.

Jade closes her arms around her waist, pulling the smaller girl into her. Tori buries her face in her neck and hums along. Jade can see Tori's sister watching them suspiciously, so she closes her eyes too, and rests her head against Toris. She breathes deeply through her nose and catalogs the way Tori's hair smells. 'Mangos' she thinks. 'I like mangos...'

...

When the concert ends they move to the lobby. Tori and Cat bounce off towards the bathroom and Jades left standing with the remnants of their group. Jade can feel Trinas eyes on her and she does everything not to meet them. "So, Jade." Trina starts and Jade inwardly groans, finally making eye contact. "Yeah?" "Web shows, how much do those pay?" she asks inquisitively. "Um...enough?" Jade offers. "Enough for what?" Trina asks, crossing her arms. "Food...an apartment...the works..." Jade says distractedly, eyeing the bathrooms. "An apartment, so you live alone?" Andre to the rescue. "No, no. I actually live with a friend of mine." She says smiling. "A female friend?" Trina asks accusingly. "Um, no... This guy I've known like, pretty much my whole life." "That's so nice." Says Andre making solid eye contact with Trina. 'At least she's got one normal friend.' Robbie hasn't taken his eyes off the bathroom since Cat went in. His face lights up when they finally emerge.

"Miss me?" Tori says, latching herself to Jades side. "Hell yeah..." Jade mutters dropping a kiss to her cheek. Toris face scrunches up in confusion, but the kiss quickly washes it away. "Lets go, okay?" Jade asks. Tori wonders if she's upset, but she's smiling so sincerely, she lets it go. "Sure, yeah. Lets go." She says cheerily.

...

On the ride home Tori recounts every part of the concert. Jade didn't realize how much she'd missed, being absorbed in Tori. Jade pulls into the parking lot and shuts off her car. "What did _you_ think?" "They were great." "Really?" Tori says hopefully. "Yup. Much better live." Jade jokes. Tori laughs and the sound makes her feel accomplished. Jade leans in, but Trina's car pulls in next to them. She freezes but Tori grabs her chin and pulls her the rest of the way in. Her hand moves from her chin to her cheek as the kiss deepens, but a knock at Toris window forces them to separate.

Tori keeps her close and gives the person at the window (Jade can't see past Tori's face) a raised index finger. She resumes their activity only to be interrupted by another knock. Tori releases Jade, sits back in her seat and rolls down the window. "What Trina!?" She says annoyed. "Come on, after party upstairs." She says shrugging towards the building. "I'm a little busy Treen" she says, and Jade laughs. Trina shoots daggers at her and the laughter stops. "Byeeeee" Tori says rolling up the window. Trina huffs off towards the building, the rest of the group in tow.

"Sorry, do you wanna come up stairs?" She asks. "Sure...but maybe in a bit?" Tori laughs "Definitely." She says. She grabs Jades cheek again and draws her in. Jade hums in approval. The kiss grows in fever and Tori tries to move closer, only to be jerked back by her seat belt. They laugh for a beat as they both unclick them. Tori uses her new freedom to climb over the console and onto Jades lap. Jade blushes and her face reads surprise. Toris hands snake up behind her neck and gently scrape her nape. Jade closes her eyes and enjoys the feeing. "You like that?" Tori whispers. Jade chuckles softly "Mhmm..." She feels Toris lips hover over her own and she closes the distance between them.

...

10 minutes later and their still in Jades car "Lets go in." Tori says. Jade pulls on the hem of her shirt and whines "nooooo" She places a kiss on the corner of Tori's mouth. Tori smiles and rests her head against Jades chest to prevent further distractions. Jade smiles and curls her hands around her hips, tracing the sliver of skin exposed there. "My sisters gonna be mad..." Jade goes rigid and Tori laughs. She pulls back and meets Jades eyes. "So upstairs then?" Jade nods vehemently.

...

Tori opens the door to her apartment, which she shares with Cat and her sister. The groups already inside and in the middle of a heated discussion. Thankfully, they're too busy to notice Tori and Jade enter. Cat and Robbie sit closely on the couch with Trina at the other end facing them. Andres in the kitchen taking a pizza out of the oven, but his sweatshirts in the desk chair next to the couch. Tori sits in the remaining chair, a bean bag next to Trinas side. She pats her lap and smiles up Jade. The gang takes notice of them and all say hello, except for Trina who makes room on the couch and insists Jade sits down. "That bean bag is barely big enough for Tori, take a seat." She says. Tori looks at her apologetically and she sits down. Trinas eyes are narrowed but a smile is plastered on her face. "What took you guys so long?" Cat asks over her shoulder. Jade looks to Tori, who seems to be just as stuck. "Talking about the concert, right?" Says Andre as he enters, clapping a hand on Jades shoulder then returning to his chair. "Uh, right." She agrees. Trinas eyes get a little smaller.

"Dares pisa in da kichen" Andre says through a mouthful of his. "Ooh pizza!" Says Tori. She gets up but stops in front of Jade. 'An escape!' She thinks. "Do you want a slice?" She nods quickly and follows Tori to the kitchen, which is behind the living room with an island separating the rooms.

Tori sits on the counter next to the pizza and grabs Jades face. She tilts her head and examines her. "Whatcha doin?" "Making sure my sister didn't burn any holes in your skull." She releases her and they laugh. "She doesn't like me, does she?" "She doesn't know you. She'll come around." Tori says, brushing a stray hair from Jades face. Jade beams at her. Her hands land on Tori's knees and slowly crawl up her thighs. "Pizzas gonna get cold!" Trina shouts from the couch. Jades hands ball into fist and slide onto the counter on either side of Tori's thighs. Tori sighs and slides off the counter and pecks Jades lips before the proximity's broken.

She grabs some paper plates and two slices of pizza. She presents Jade with one and they walk back to the living room. Tori takes Jades spot on the couch, so Jade sits on the bean bag chair. Trina scowls at her sister and Tori just smiles back and enjoys her pizza.

They pop in a movie and turn off the lights, finally settling down. When they finish their pizza Tori takes their plates and throws them away. When she comes back she squeezes in next to Jade. Jade smiles and leans back into the chair, throwing her arm around Tori, who in turn wraps an arm around her waist. The night carries on mostly quietly. It's occasionally broken by a joke from Andre or a question about the movie from Cat. Tori subtly places kisses on Jades neck or tugs on her ear when her sister isn't glaring at them.

Eventually its time for her to go, as Trina dutifully informed them, and Tori walks her to her car and Jade leans against it. "I'm so sorry. Shes just really protective." Jade shrugs. "I get it. I mean, I don't see how I'm a threat but, whatever." Tori looks her up and down "Really?" Jade shrugs again, even more confused. Tori steps closer and places her hands flat against Jades stomach. "You're so pretty." Tori says. Jade rolls her eyes and throws her head back. "Hey, look at me." Jade meets her eyes again. "You're so pretty, and she's worried you'll hurt me." Jades eyes are sad but Toris smiling at her. She looks down and puts her hands on top of Tori's. "Well I wouldn't..." She mumbles. "I know." Tori states.

Jade finally lifts her head and Toris smile forces her own. They share a sweet, chaste kiss before they're saying good bye and Jades driving away, with Tori waving in her rear view mirror.

...


	7. Chapter 7

A/N The web show is 'The Stumbling Dead' by Cracked Studios. For reference its a comedy with some inventive elements for the genre, like zombie memories, comprehension and socialization. Seems like something Jade would do.

...

When Tori returns to her apartment the movie is off and Andre is firing up the YouTube app. "What's her show called again?" She smiles and walks to the TV. She points at the history queue. "The...Stumbling dead?" He reads. She nods and he starts the first episode. She settles in, all for rewatching the series. Each episode they watch fills Tori with pride, and when its over she rakes in the praise. Even Trina complimented Jades writing.

When the boys go home, Tori decides to address her sisters behavior. Cats outside saying goodbye to Robbie, so its just them for now. Sitting on opposite ends of the couch, facing each other. "So, what did you think?" Tori asks with feigned nonchalance. "I told you, it was okay. For zombies" she says distastefully. Tori huffs "I meant Jade." "She's...different." Trina says in an careful tone. "Yeah, what's wrong with that?" Tori snaps back. "Nothing... it's just..." Tori exhales tiredly. "Look, Trina, I know you're just looking out for me but... I trust Jade." She smiles to herself.

"But why? You've only been on two dates Tori! And you're already making out in her car! And god knows what else..." She says shaking her head. "You're my little sister Tori. And I know you see the good in people, but I see them for who they are. And Jade... Shes just another bad boy. A talented one, ill give you" she gestures to the screen "but still, I don't want to see you to get hurt again, Tor."

Tori swallows a lump in her throat. "I don't think you're as perspective as you think you are." She says with strained calmness. She quickly rises and seeks shelter in her room.

Trina goes over her evaluation. The ripped jeans, the eyebrow piercing, the antisocial attitude. Jade was the poster child for trouble, she had to be bad news. Trina saw her sister date plenty of the sort and she was tired of seeing her fall for them again an again.

Cat enters the apartment with a smile on her face, that quickly dissolves into confusion. "Where's Tori?" She follows Trina's eyes to Toris bedroom door. "Should I ask?" "For once Cat, don't." Cat sits on the couch next to her. "What happened?" Trina throws her hands up. "I'm the bad guy 'cause I'm the only one who sees the pattern? How am I supposed to ignore this, shes gonna get hurt again Cat." Cat sighs. "You can't know that." She starts. "Yes I do, it alwa-"

Cat stops her with a raised hand. "You can't know that, and besides. If she gets hurt, she get hurt. Shes and adult and if this really is the wrong path, then she'll find out." When she sees that her words are sinking in she starts to stand. "It's our job to just support her along the way. Right now she really likes this girl, and I'm sure there's more to it than a kink for rebels." Trina manages a chuckle. She moves to her bedroom and stops in the doorway. "Night?" She asks, really meaning 'are you okay?'

"Night." Trina affirms.

...

The next morning Toris sitting on their couch absent mindedly strumming her guitar and watching TV. Trina's leaving for work and she's putting her shoes on by the door. She stomps her heel into the bottom and now shes out of reasons not to leave. Tori notices her lingering throws her a question look. "Um...about last night..." Toris face morphs to a scowl and she turns back to the television. Trina lets out an exasperated sigh. "Look, I'm sorry okay. If you trust her, I trust her. Just... take care of yourself, okay?" Tori nods, surprised. Trina mutters "okay" and quickly leaves.

...

Jade and Tori spend the rest of the week texting each other relentlessly. They make plans for another date that weekend, just to hang out a Jades place. Plus Tori wants to meet the Beck Jade wont stop talking about. She figures its only fair since Jade got to meet all of her friends the last time.

...

When Trina drops Tori off, she waves at them both in the doorway of the apartment. Jade waves back with a scared smile and speaks through her teeth "Is this a trick?" "Nope." Tori says simply. She stretches on her toes and pecks Jades cheek, then walks past her into the home.

Jades apartment is nothing special. To the left of the front door is the kitchen, and straight is the living room. Becks rooms is behind the living room and Jades is in front. There's a small bathroom next to Becks room.

Toris eyes wander around the apartment as she sits on the couch in the center of it. Jade follows her in and stands next to her. When her eyes meet Jades they're wide and excited. Jade smiles down at her, then spins and picks up the remote. She presents the item in Vanna White like manner. "Our main form of entertainment." Tori laughs and nods. Jade turns on the TV and plops down next Tori.

Jade watches with her arms stretched along the back of the couch. Toris curled up with her knees to her chest. In one unimportant moment, Jade gathers all her hair in her hands and pulls it to one side. Tori finds her eyes drawn to her neck. She cautiously extends her hand towards Jade, who watches her movements out of the corner of her eye, not reacting. Toris fingers stroke the back of her neck and once again, the girl succumbs to the ministrations. Jade hooks an arm behind Toris knees and pulls her legs onto her lap. Tori giggles and hoists herself up the rest of the way.

A few minutes later and Jades eyes are closed, and shes practically _purring._ Tori takes notice and smiles. Her right hand joins the other and Jade hums. Tori can't stifle her laugh and Jades cracks an eye open. Her upper lip stiffens, but begins to curl at the edges. She slowly pushes Toris shoulders, laying her back on the couch while remaining above her. Tori strengthens her grip on Jades neck and moves her left leg to the other side of Jades waist. Jade settles between her legs and her hair surrounds Tori. She combs her fingers through the mess, the gathers it behind her ears, and when Jades face is revealed shes smiling dopily at her. "Hi" she says softly. Toris starts tracing her neck and Jades eyes close again. She slowly sinks into Tori, laying her head on her chest.

They keep watching TV like that until Jades roommate returns. Becks kicks open the door and his arms are overflowing with groceries. "A little help?" He calls. Tori squeezes out from under Jade and rushes to the door, holding the groceries back from falling. Carefully, they work in tandem to get the bags to the kitchen table. Beck looks over them to meet his rescuer. "Thank you...Tori?" "No problem, Beck?" She says, thrusting her hand through the wall of bags. He laughs and shakes her hand. "Nice to meet you." She says. "Likewise" he answers, beginning to unpack the food. "Need any help?" She offers.

He looks to Jade, who's trying to convey how bad she can hurt him through a facial expression alone. She succeeds. "Um..." He faces Tori again "I'm good." He says nervously. "You guys enjoy you're date, I got this stuff." Tori shrugs and join Jade on the couch again. "Thank you Beck." Jade says, tossing an arm around Tori. Tori smiles up at her and Jade sees Beck give her the finger out of the corner of her eye. When he turns back to the groceries she uses the arm around Tori to give one back, but the girl grabs her finger and pulls her arm tighter around her neck. Jade gives her a challenging look, and Tori just bats her eyelashes and smiles innocently up at her. Jade uses her free hand to bring Toris up to join her other. Before she realizes what's happening, Jade pins her hands to her shoulder and starts tickling her. Tori squeals and tries to get a way but Jade uses her superior strength to keep her close. While Tori manages to chastise her between laughs, her grip starts to slack. Jade can tell, so she leans over her and presses Tori into the couch with her full weight. Jades laughing almost as hard as Tori now, sending vibrations through her neck. She tries to move their bundle of hands down to their hips but Tori's hands escape. Jade just goes right on tickling, her other hand now participating in the torment.

There's no space between them so Jade attacks Toris sides. Her hands close around her wrists, finally stopping her. Jade tries to pull them free a few times, then calls it quits and settles for a new strategy. She tugs on Toris earlobe gently, then kisses her neck just below. Tori keeps her hold on her wrists, suspicious. She kisses down until she reaches her pulse point, then bites it. Tori yelps and Jade laughs triumphantly, then continues with her new attack method.

...

A/N Sorry to end randomly but I'm beat. There'll be more tomorrow.


	8. Chapter 8

Jade takes advantage of her surprise and yanks her hands free. She immediately starts tickling Toris sides, and keeps biting her neck. Tori tries to still her hands but its to no avail. She wraps her hands around Jades neck. Pulling does nothing, so she tries Jades 'pressure point'. She strokes the expanse of her neck and the girl's bites ebb into open mouthed kisses. Her thumbs trace circles into Toris hips.

"I'll just be over here then!" Beck yells from his room before closing the door. Tori laughs and Jade trails her lips up her neck, jaw, and finally lands a soft kiss on her lips. Tori presses back firmly and her fingers sink into Jades hair. Jades hands slide up her shirt and skim down her sides, again and again.

Tori pulls back when she hears a door open but Jade follows her and quickly reattaches their lips. "Oh don't mind me" Beck says sarcastically. Tori turns her head this time, and Jade counters by kissing back down the side of her jaw and nuzzling her neck. A blush consumes Toris cheeks "Sorry... Jade." She says, pushing at Jades shoulders. Their eyes meet and and Jade looks almost giddy. "Yes?" "Up." Jade nods and sits up, pulling Tori with her.

They finally separate and make room for Beck on the couch. "So Tori, what's your deal?" He says casually. "I'm a musician." She says nodding. "No kidding?" He says turning to Jade. She narrows her eyes at him. 'Don't.' She thinks. He faces Tori again "I'm a bit of a musician myself." Jade rolls her eyes and Tori smiles "That's awesome, we should play together sometime."

"Well its sometime now" His smile is too charming for her to deny. "Why not." She shrugs. Beck jumps over the back of the couch and throws his bed room door open. He reenters the living room with a guitar. He strums some off sounding chords and blinks at his friends. Jade shakes her head as he passes his guitar to Tori. She laughs and takes the instrument. Shes strums a few times idly, thinking of something to play. She settles on that acoustic version of 'across the sea' shes been learning.

It's not long before her eyes are closed and shes swaying while she plays. She starts to sing and Jade listens closely. Toris voice is as soft and light as when she speaks, but her pitch is perfectly even. The song effortlessly flows through her, and when she sings low Jade feels so warm, so safe. It's like her voice wraps around her, and shes thinks she never felt so complete. Beck joins her in harmony, and Jade feels a small pang of jealousy.

She hugs the guitar to her chest as she plays, causing her knees to rise above the edges of her dress and her toes rap against the floor boards. Tori subconsciously shifts towards Beck and Jade fills in the space behind her. She hooks her arms around her waist and pulls her back into her chest. Her playing falters as she adjust, but soon shes sitting cross-legged in Jades lap, eyes closed and swaying just like before. "I wonder what clothes you wear to school..." She sings, and Jade rests her chin on her shoulder. "I wonder how you decorate you room..." Her hands over Toris stomach tighten. "I wonder how you-" shes cut off by her phone ringing. Jade curses the object and closes her eyes. Tori quickly hands Beck his guitar and reaches for her phone on the coffee table.

When she fails to reach it due to Jades arms, the older girl refuses release her. She laughs and tries again, and Jade whines into her hair. Beck rolls his eyes and hands her the phone. "Thanks" she offers an apologetic smile. "Hello? Hey what's up?Oh...thanks I guess. Yeah... ill be right down..." Jade growls and Tori gives a small laugh, turning her head to face her. "Trina was on her way home from work and decided to give me a ride." Jade gives her a suspicious look. "She just wanted to give you a break, Jade." Jade pouts. "I don't wanna break." Tori smiles and Beck gags.

She gently removes Jades hands and leads them to the door. She turns in the doorway and Jade leans on the door frame. "Bye Beck, it was nice meeting you." "You too" he calls distractedly, trying to get the hang of another chord. Her eyes return to Jade. "Bye Jade."

"Bye monkey." Her voices natural husk wounds Tori. Their eyes lock and Jades look far deeper than possible. " _Bye Monkey_ " Beck mocks from behind her. Tori deflates and blushes at the ground. Jade rolls her eyes and put her hands on Toris arms. She draws her in and kisses the top of her head. Tori brightens again and backs away, waving until Jade shuts her door.

...


	9. Chapter 9

Tori comes over a few more times in the coming weeks. Her and Beck have grown close, much to Jades irritation. She spends a majority of her visits teaching him how to play guitar, but occasionally Jade will luck out and shell come over on a day when Beck is out bothering some one else.

Today is one those days. Jade opens her door and the haze that coats her vision whenever she sees Tori for the first time takes a welcome hold of her. Tori launches herself into Jades and coils her arms around her neck. Jade laughs and responds in kind, pulling her off the ground in a bear hug. She swings them into the apartment releases Tori to shut the door.

When she faces her again, Tori wraps her arms around her neck again and pulls her down to her level, then starts kissing Jades face all over. "Uh... hi monkey...um, what's with all the love?" Tori kisses her lips and pulls back, waiting for her eyes to open again. "Guess what today is..." She trails off in a sing song voice. The haze thickens when shes this close. Jades eyes flick up from her lips to her eyes.

"What?" Tori huffs in mock anger. Jade tilts her head "We haven't been going out long enough to have anniversaries..." Tori pulls a piece of paper out of her pocket. "Oh haven't we?" She holds it up for Jade to read. "Oh yeah, one month. Happy anniversary." She says smiling, and finally returning the embrace. "We should do something." Tori puts the ferry ticket back in her pocket. "Well, I see Becks not home" Toris eyes meet hers again and her arm rejoins the other "We could...celebrate?" Jade raises her eyebrows and Tori blushes, flicking her gaze to the ground.

"Or we could go out, to like a movie or a restaurant. I wasn't really..." Jade chuckles and yanks her chin up "Dinner sounds great."

...

The drive around her borough looking for a place to eat. "Chicago sams?" Jade suggests. "A sports bar? On our _anniversary_ , I never!" She says ridiculously, crossing her arms and looking out the window. Jade chuckles and waits. After a few moments Tori slowly turns to face her again and Jade raises her eyebrows. "Fine!" She says throwing her hands up.

Jade pulls into the parking lot and they exit the vehicle. When they reach the door Jade opens it and sweeps her arm forward. Tori thanks her and as she walks past she grabs Jades hand and pulls her inside. Jade playfully collides their shoulders as if she were yanked. They sit at the bar and Jade orders herself a beer and Tori gets a coke. "So I'm driving then?" She asks. Jade finishes a swig and puts the bottle down. "How sweet of you to offer!" She hails the bartender "One more!"

Tori rolls her eyes. Jade notices and pinches her arm. "Ow! Drive yourself..." She says rubbing the little red blip forming there. Jades smiling at her like a little kid. "What're you so happy about?" She puts her elbow on the bar and rests her chin in her hand, leaning closer. Jade mimics her position, burying her hand in her hair and leaning in so their faces are inches apart. She shrugs. Jades eyes search her face, and Tori studies them.

They're a lush green, and Tori can't remember a time she saw someone with actually green eyes. She sighs and lifts her head, lying her arm along the bar and touching Jades elbow. "I'm so lucky" Jades smile is wiped away and something in her eyes sparkle, and they widen, threatening to consume the other girl. "Happy anniversary." Tori says, smiling contentedly. Jades smile comes back and she kisses Tori hard, surprising her. It takes a second but Tori kisses her back just as hard, then pecks her lips once and breaks it. She faces the bar again and picks up a menu.

...

Tori pulls into Jades complex at 11:54. Said girl is slightly buzzed, slouching in her seat. Tori gets out but Jade doesn't follow. She walks over to her side and opens the door. "You coming?" Jade extends her hand and wiggles her fingers. Tori grabs the offered limb and yanks her out of the car. Jade stumbles into Tori, and when she regains her balance, her hands start to wander. She wraps her arms around her stomach and hugs her tightly from behind. "Jade" she laughs "Jade we have to get upstairs."

She pries her hands off and leads them upstairs. She unlocks the door with Jades keys and helps the girl to her room. Jade plops down on her bed and grabs at the air towards Tori. Tori approaches her and kneels down, taking off one of her shoes. Jade draws her legs up onto the bed and pulls her other foot into her chest "I can do it" She rips her shoe off and throws it at the wall "Now come here" she grabs at her again. Tori laughs and steps into her arms. She rests her hands on her hips and straddles her lap.

She bumps their noses together and Jade kisses her. Jade slides her arms down and grabs her collar to pull her closer. Tori gets the hint and leans over her, deepening the kiss. She traps her bottom lip between her teeth and runs her tongue over it. Jade whimpers, and Tori moans at the sound. Jade slides her tongue into her girlfriends mouth, and she instantly reciprocates. Jade traces her spine and a bit lower, while Tori can only paw at her sides. She brakes off the kiss and lifts herself with one arm so the other can go under Jades shirt. She takes a second to trace her abs and goes higher. Before she can reach her destination Jade pulls her back down and tries to kiss her.

Tori avoids her advances and gives her a devilish smirk before moving to her neck and kissing up to her ear. She tugs on the lobe gently, then trails up her jaw, and eventually lands on her lips. The kiss picks up in fever when Jade lowers her hands to Toris ass and pulls. Tori moans and pushes her leg in between Jades and starts to grind against her. Toris eyes squeeze shut and sits up and strips Jade of her shirt. Jade makes her take off her own before she collapses against her again.

She keeps rocking their hips together, now with the added pleasure of having skin against skin. Their bras are next, then their pants. Toris soft thigh pressed against her and the little noises shes making drive Jade crazy, and she has to bite her lip to keep from coming too soon. Tori starts to give attention to her chest and Jades hands tremble at the small of her back.

Tori sits up, intent on removing her girlfriends last remaining article of clothing, but stops to admire her handiwork. Jades chest is covered in bite marks and hickeys. Proud of herself, she continues to nip and lick her way down her body. She slides her panties down her pale, porcelain legs. When she kisses her thigh she feels goosebumps. 'I make her nervous' she thinks, and smiles victoriously.

She parts her legs and runs her tongue along her once, and she twitches on the bed. Jade laughs out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Tori licks her a few more times until she's ready. She crawls back up her body and buries her face in her neck. She gently slides a finger inside her and mentally high fives herself for the wetness she finds. She adds another finger and steadily pumps into her.

When Jades hips start to lift off the bed and clash against Toris, she picks up the pace. Jades hands tangle in the hair and her legs wrap around her. "F-f-fucck" she whimpers into her ear, and she traces the shell with her nose. As her climax builds Jade talks more and more. When she finally comes its with a string of swears and oh my gods with Toris name mixed in between.

Jade can feel her cheshire grin on her neck. She slides her fingers out and wipes them on the comforter. She rolls off and lays next to her on her side. Jade throws her arm over her eyes in an attempt to catch her breath, so she can't see Tori staring at her. She takes a peek and groans. "Ugh, knock it off" she says playfully as she pulls the covers over her. Tori follows her closely. She wraps an arm around her waist and tugs her close. She buries her nose in her hair. She inhales and smiles 'french fries'.


	10. Chapter 10

"Psst" something tickles her chin "heyyy, wakey wakey..." Jade peels her eyes open and light floods her pupils. Toris crisp form cuts through the morning light. Shes on her knees and when she leans in closer, Jade watches as she comes into focus. She sees Jades eyes are open and smiles. "Morning" she says.

Jade stretches out, arching her back then collapsing against her pillows. She faces her clock. '9:00 a.m.' She groans and flips over, smushing her face in a pillow. Tori giggles and runs her fingers along Jades shoulder blades. Jade tilts her head and peeks an eye open. She watches Tori marvel at her skin, and slowly she drifts off again.

When shes done, she kisses Jades shoulder, unknowingly rousing the sleeping girl. Jade opens an eye and watches Tori climb out of her bed. She stretches her arms out wide, then brings them back to cover a yawn. She puts her shirt on an assess her appearance in Jades mirror. Jade turns on her side to face her, and rests her head on folded hands. Tori quickly musses her hair into to its original shape, then starts looking through Jades make up.

Said girl watches her with rapt attention. The way she carefully applies her eye liner, or the face she makes to put on mascara, or the way she bites her lip and steps back, frowning at her reflection. Any of these could be the reason Jades stomach tightens, almost painfully.

Tori finally notices her watching and turns around, smiling. But Jades not. Tori climbs onto the bed and pushes her back, straddling her lap. Tori bends so their faces are inches apart. "Did I wake you up?" Jade stays silent an absent mindedly runs her fingers along the bumps of Tori's spine at the small of her back. She raises an eyebrow, and all Jade can focus on is how pretty she looks when she's confused. Jades eyes are darting all over her face and her expression shifts to worry. "What?" Jade meets her eyes.

"Nothing, I just..." She kisses her, suddenly its all she can think of. Tori slides down so shes laying on Jade, and the comforter between them sides down too. Her hands scratch at a still shirtless Jades ribs. When it breaks she rests her forehead on Jades. "I'm lucky too..." She mumbles against her lips. Toris face contorts and she pulls back, looking Jade in the eyes. "What?" Jade sinks back into the bed and looks everywhere but in front of her. Tori refuses to let her just close up. She curls her hands around her neck and gently strokes the small expanse of skin there. "What did you say?"

Jade closes her eyes and breathes out through her nose. Toris actions are winning her over. "Yesterday...you said you were lucky..." Her eyes open "Well...I am too..." She shrugs and looks away again. Tori laughs and kisses her cheek. She slides off of her and snuggles into her side instead. Jade puts an arm around her shoulders and Tori does the same to her middle, tracing her cuts. Jade bristles, then relaxes. "Can you hand me my shirt?"

...


	11. Chapter 11

A/N

Hello again

...

The rest of the day is a breeze. Jades slips on a tank top and some yoga shorts and stands at the stove making eggs. She wears her big headphones to drown out Tori and Beck playing their guitars in the living room (shes started keeping one of her guitars there).

Jade pours the last bit of eggs on top of the mountain shes already made and call her friends to breakfast. Tori puts her guitar down and Beck keeps playing. Jade knocks the peak of egg mountain onto another plate and meets Tori on her walk to the kitchen.

Tori stops in front of her and slides her headphones down to her neck. "-only teenage wasteland..." She sings to Jade. Her voice and his instrument harmonize, Becks skills have improved greatly since Toris been helping him. "Teenage wasteland." she finishes.

Beck cheers behind them "That was incredible! Jade, did you hear that?!" She doesn't break eye contact with Tori when she nods. She smiles and takes her plate. Jade and Beck grab their own plates and join her on the couch. Tori finishes before them and picks up her guitar, fiddling around while they watch TV. Jade finishes ver eggs and lays her hand on the strings "You never stop do you?" Tori blushes and shakes her head. Jade kisses her, then lets go and faces the tv again. Beck tosses his plate on top of Jades and starts asking Tori questions about what she's playing.

...

"Please?"

...

"Pleeeaaaassee"

...

Jade sits on the end of Toris couch, clenching and unclenching her fists in her lap to combat the coiling in her stomach. Tori gives her her best pout, hoping that after 3 months of begging for things it still affects her.

Shes sitting on her knees facing Jade, begging her to go on a double date with some of her weird friends. Jade would do anything for Tori, steal for her, fight for her, but both these things sound far better than an evening of forced conversations with non-Tori people.

She faces the girl in question. The sun pours in from the window and flows over Jade, drowning Tori in light and making her eyes shine as she waits for Jades answer. 'Shes just...the best' she thinks.

Toris the only she can talk for hours and Jade doesn't have to say a word, she can just listen to her voice. She doesn't complain when Jade says the lines with her favorite movie, or deconstructs all the ones she hates, she just smiles and listens. Shes never really cared for horror films and tends to find Jades commentary much more interesting anyway. She doesn't recoil at Jades favorite songs, she learns to play them for her.

She faces her lap again and swallows the lump in her throat painfully, then nods. "Really!?" She nods again. "Oh thank you thank you thank you!" Tori cheers, strangling her in a hug and peppering the side of her face with kisses. She ceases her attack and looks Jade pointedly in the eyes.

"Hey, I love you." A smile erupts on Jades face, as well as a blush. She isn't quite there yet, but she definitely doesn't mind hearing that Tori is. The pain in her stomach is instantly relieved and she surges forward to kisses her, hard enough to let her know that love or not, she definitely has _strong_ feelings for her.

"Eh hem" Trina clears her throat. They separate and look behind them. Trinas standing there scowling with a bowl of popcorn under her arm, but when their eyes meet hers it vanishes and she rounds the couch, plopping down at the other end. Jade tries to understand the encounter but before she can grasp it Toris unfolded her legs and is sinking into her side.

"Jade said she'd come with us!" Tori tells her sister excitedly. "Shes coming!?" Trina and Jade yell in unison. Tori looks between them curiously as they both deflate. Trina faces the Tv and replies "Super." before eating a fistful of popcorn. Jade crosses her arms and feels the coiling begin again. "Can't wait..." Tori gives her a sad, knowing smile and curls her hand behind her neck. Jade sighs and leans into the touch as their night descends into awkward silence and network television.

...

As always, Trina doesn't go to bed until Jade goes home. "Goodnight!" Tori calls from the kitchen. She opens the fridge and browses her options when she hears a quiet knock at the door. She tip toes to the window and peaks through the blinds. When Jade sees her she leans against the window sill and mouths 'hi' Tori laughs and Jade nods towards the door.

Tori opens it as slowly as she can, flinching at every creak. Jade walks in and opens her mouth to speak but Tori quickly covers her mouth. She shakes her head and Jade _really_ wants to tease the incredibly serious look in her eyes. She reluctantly shuts up as Tori painstakingly shuts the door behind them. Tori tip toes to her room with Jade calmly walking behind her.

She shoves Jade in and yells "Goodnight!" Before closing the door. Jades sits on her bed kicks off her shoes, chuckling at her girlfriends dorkiness. Tori saunters her way and asks "What's so funny?" Jade looks her up and down then laughs again. Toris confidence subsides, replaced with worry. "What?" She asks again, rubbing at her clothes. "Nothing, its just." Tori sits beside her, eyes curious "there's something inherently funny about a girl as hot as you being _this_ lame _._ "

"Well" Tori huffs. She rises and walks to her dresser. Jade continues undressing while Tori fishes for pajamas. She finds a pair of Jades first and tosses them back blindly at her. "Thank you" Jade yells sarcastically, and muffled. Tori pulls out a pair of her own and puts them on top of the dresser.

She turns back to Jade and says "You're welcome" before stripping off her shirt and throwing it at her too. The garment slides off her face and reveals a less than amused scowl. This elicits a laugh from Tori, which makes Jades scowl deepen, which makes Tori laugh harder...until Jades pile of day clothes almost knock her over. "Woah!" Tori spins and regains her balance, mouth hung open in shock.

Jade regards her mischievously, slowly sliding under the covers. Tori shakes her head and takes at step. "You little..." She launches herself on the bed and tries to tear the covers from around Jade. Said girl has cocooned herself for her own protection. When Tori realizes she isn't getting in by force, she waits quietly. After a couple seconds Jades head cautiously rises from a previously unknown hole and Tori seizes the opportunity.

She rips the covers down Jade, leaving her exposed. She seems not to mind though, eyes hooded as she eyes Tori. Shes confused for a sec, until she remembers what they were doing. She rolls her eyes and climbs of the bed and resumes dressing.

...

"Stooop" Tori whines when the kiss breaks, but Jade goes on ignoring like she has been for the past 10 minutes and kisses her again. "I'm soo late" she says lamely before accepting another kiss. Jade pulls back and looks her in the eye. "Mmm I don't care" she shakes her head and dives in again. Toris new day job was seriously cutting into their time together.

The next time Tori pulls away "Okay, I really have to go now" Jade pouts and Tori pecks her once before gently removing her girlfriend from her hips and sliding her legs off the bed. She stretches while Jade watches her happily from behind. "Come baaaacck" she whines. Tori smiles and shakes her head, getting up and backing away out of her door towards the bathroom. "Can I come with you?" Jade shouts. Tori laughs. "No!"

...

"Shoes...shoes...shit where are my shoes!" Tori got out of the shower and immediately began running around her apartment trying to get ready. Her shoes were the last things she needed.

Jade sighs and goes to where she knows her girlfriend left them, in front of the couch, which means they're now under it. She fetches the shoes and presents them to her. A visible wave a relief washes over her. She rushes over and gives her a chaste kiss. "What would you do without me?" Jade says, circling her now free arms around Toris waist. Tori pretends to think for a moment. "Hmm. Not be late in the first place?" Tori laughs and Jade narrows her eyes, before joining in then kissing her again.

"Mmm Nooooo" and again. Tori pushes her shoulders but the taller girls fingers are interlaced behind her back, preventing her from going very far. She drops her shoes pulls her fingers apart then holds them in her own. "Jade, if I'm late, no more sleeping over on weekdays." Jade pouts. "But I miss you..."

"When you're asleep?" She nods. Tori sighs, if that's her opening argument, this is going nowhere. "Then I better get going, huh?" Jades pout morphs into an understanding frown as she pulls her hands back and crosses her arms. Tori crouches and puts on her shoes, then stands up and opens her arms. Jade reluctantly sinks into her with her arms still crossed. Tori just laughs, says "Bye Jade" and kisses the top of her head. "bye monkey..." Jade mumbles.

...

A/N Any date ideas?


	12. Chapter 12

A knock at the door freezes Trina where she stands. "He's early!" She yells to her sister as she runs to the door and throws it open. Jade stands in the doorway, mirroring Trinas disappointed look.

"Relax, its just Jade." Jades frown recedes as Tori walks up behind her sister and takes her place. "Hey baby, oh la la!" She says taking in Jades outfit, a plain black dress. But its a dress so Tori can't just let it go.

"Give us a spin" Jade twirls lazily as Tori appraises her. "All this for me?" She asks exaggeratedly. "Ha ha, can I come in now?" She deadpans. "Nope." Tori quips with a smile. Jade huffs, then gives her a quick kiss. "Now?" "Ok" Tori leads her inside towards her sister room, and Jades feet root the floor. "Where are we going?" "Trinas room." Tori answers innocently. "Where it _sleeps_!" She whisper-yells. Toris cheery demeanor drops, and Jade instantly regrets speaking.

"It was a joke-" Tori raises a finger to silence her. "Monkey i'm-" Tori shakes her head and Jade stops. "I know you guys clash but she's my sister, and if you're gonna stick around you guys are going to have to learn to get along."

"Now, shes getting ready for a first date and as her sister I'm sworn to help her get ready." Tori sees the challenge in Jades eyes "And as my super serious long time girlfriend, so are you." The stare at each other for a moment, then Jade caves. "Fine."

"And its term, jeez, we just watched that..." She mutters as they cross the threshold.

...

"What's this guys name again?" Tori asks her sister, who's standing at her vanity 'perfecting' her make up. Jade and her are laying on Trinas bed on their stomachs, while Cat sits on the floor with her back against it. "Paulo" she says in a thick accent. "What?" Jade asks. "Paulo" she says again. "Huh?" Tori asks. She huffs. "Paulo" she repeats carefully. "What?" Jade asks again.

"Pau-lo" She says as she turns around. Jade and Tori are facing each other, giggling like idiots while Cat types away at her phone. "What?" Tori asks again. Trina rolls her eyes and turns back to her mirror. "Cute." She deadpans. "Sorry..." Tori says, facing her sister. "I'm not" Jade whispers, sending them both back to giggling. Tori calms down first and gives Jades arm a light slap. Jades mouth makes an 'o' and Tori points a finger in her face. "Bad Jade, no." Jade snaps at her finger and she yanks it into her chest, face bright in mock offense.

"Okay, thoughts?" Trina asks, facing them. Cat and Tori have all kinds of suggestions, and their conversation sends Jades mind back to highschool. She wonders if this is what it was like for Tori. 'Probably' she figures. 'Shes a natural' She has this power to make anyone comfortable, even Jade. Shes lucky she thinks most people aren't worth her time cause anytime there's more then 3 around her she feels her stomach tighten. She doesn't believe in fate, but Toris an almost uncanny foil to her, and that's as close as she'll come to saying soul mate.

Tori notices her staring and her eyes flick to Jades for a moment. She continues talking and lies an hand on Jades back. She rubs comforting circles as Jade rests her head on her arms. "I like it when a guy pays for me, what do you think, Jade?" Cat asks. Jade feels the familiar apprehension, but pushes through like shes taught herself to...and Toris movements help a little too.

"Um..." She looks at Tori. "That's not really a problem for me..." The rest of them laugh "Oh duh. How do you decide then?" Jade thinks for a moment, and she can't really think if a 'go to' option. "Jade pays, obviously." Trina states. "Obviously?" Tori asks. Jade gets ready for the same shit shes been hearing since she was 16. "Tori didn't get a real job till like, last week."

'Oh' Jade laughs as Tori defends herself. "Hey! Being a musician is a real job! Just...not a well paying one...Yet!" She clarifies. "Yeah yeah, but am I right?" Tori opens her mouth to speak, then closes it. Trina nods triumphantly.

 _ **Ding Dong**_

Trina squeals and they follow her to the door. "Hi Paulo" she greets. "Hello Trina" he says with a charming accent. He nods to them "Trinas friends." He holds an arm out to her. "Ready to go?"

"Yup, just lemme introduce you. She latches on to his arm. "This is my roommate and best friend, Cat." He shakes her hand with his free one. "Pleasure to meet you." "This is my little sister Tori." He shakes her hand and smiles brightly. "And this is her girlfriend Jade." She says quickly, turning him around by his arm before he can extend a hand. "Lets go, I don't wanna miss our reservation." Tori says goodbye to Cat and Jade rolls her eyes.

"What was that?" She asks Tori on the walk to her car. "What?" Tori asks as the reach it. Jade looks at her incredulously. "She didn't let me shake his hand!" She shouts as she walks to the drivers side. "Jade." She starts tiredly "you hate meeting new people. She was just trying to help, so stop being so paranoid and enjoy yourself." She says before getting in. Jade stands there for a moment before following her.

"Sorry, you're right." Tori smiles and kisses her. "Per usual." She says cockily.

...

They meet at the restaurant, some fancy french place with a name Jade can't pronounce. She fidgets awkwardly in her chair while they wait to order. Tori senses shes uncomfortable and gives her a worried look. "I'm fine." She whispers. Toris going to return to the conversation when she adds "but...I look okay right? I'm not under dressed?" Tori smiles at her sincerely.

"You look amazing." Jade smiles shyly and mouths 'thank you' as they face their companions.

"So Paulo, where are you from exactly?"

...

Miraculously, Jade survives the night. Tori has the bright idea to have Jade drive them all back, much to both girls dismay.

Jade tries to focus on the music and not Trinas shrill voice. "I _can't_ believe he said _yes_!" She wails. "It makes sense. Why drive you home when were all going the same way?" Tori says, unaffected by her sisters tone. "Uh, maybe so he can kiss me goodnight!" She snaps. Jade rolls her eyes. "I'd drive you home." Jade says quietly. Tori coos and leans over the console to kiss her cheek. "Thank you baby." She says happily. Jade sees Trina scoff in her rear view mirror and her grip on the steering wheel tightens. She does her best to tune them out for the rest of the ride.

...

Trina stomps inside as soon as they pull in but Tori stays with Jade, pushing her against her car and kissing her, once her sister is out of sight. She holds Jades cheeks in her hands and Jade slides her own onto her hips. Toris kisses slow as she slides her hands down Jades arms, wrapping them around her wrists.

She takes a step back and Jade follows her, pecking her lips twice before resting her forehead on hers. Tori holds their hands up and entwines their fingers in front of them. Jade gives her another slow kiss. "This isn't goodbye right?" Tori bites her lip and Jade pouts. "Come on, monkey. Sneak me up." Tori giggles. "I can't. Trinas definitely gonna wanna talk about her date." Jade groans and pulls back. "Ugh, you people and you're 'talks'." Tori laughs and pulls her close again, bumping their noses in the collision and making them both laugh.

"I love you." Tori says, beaming up at her. Jade looks into her eyes. Brown, beautiful and full of love. "I love you too." Toris smile vanishes and she surges forward, crushing their lips together.

...


	13. Chapter 13

Jade stares and stares at the blank document occupying her screen. She sighs. 'Another all nighter' Shes sitting on her couch, her lap top in front of her and a nearly full pitcher of coffee to the left of that. She takes a slow drink from her mug and savors the bitter remedy. She sets it down and returns her fingers to her key board and slowly, the ideas start to come. Soon she's thinking faster then she can type, and her digits struggle to keep up. She doesn't even hear the door open and close.

Toris, used to seeing her in these trances, stealthily walks up behind her. She drops her arms around Jades neck, stroking her collar bone. "Honey, I'm home." Jade laughs but doesn't respond until she's finished her paragraph. "Hi." She answers, turning to face her and accepting a kiss. "Hows it going?" Tori asks.

"Not bad." She replies, turning back towards her lap top. She takes one of Toris hands and toys with her fingers while she rereads what she's written so far. Tori presses her lips to her cheek and scans the page out of the corner of her eye. She doesn't really like reading Jades scripts before she sees the episode. Spoilers.

Jade squeezes her hand then dives back into her work. Tori releases her and rounds the couch. She sits down and pick up the remote. She holds it up "Do you mind if I turn the TV on?" "Huh? Yeah, course." Jade answers distractedly. She flips through the channels idly. "What time is it?" Jade looks at the clock in the corner of her computer. "Like, nine thirty." she answers. Tori thinks for a moment. "When does adult swim come on?" "I don't know..." Jade says, eyes trained on her computer. "Is it nine or ten?"

"Babe." Jade says seriously, finally looking up. Tori smiles at her sheepishly. "Sorry." She settles on a random comedians stand up. She tries to pay attention but she cant help but find Jade so much more interesting. "You look cute today." She says carefully. Jades fingers stop for a second, then continue. "Thanks." She says quietly.

Tori gets up and sits down right next to her, but continues to watch the program. She draws her knees up to her chest and slowly, slowly, she lays her head on Jades shoulder. Jade exhales loudly through her nose but keeps typing. Toris hands snake around her bicep. She feels less distracted now, and manages to focus on the tv.

6 half hour specials and 5 cups of coffee later, Jade is closing her laptop and cracking her knuckles. "Gross." Tori says releasing her arm. "You're gross." Jade retorts, wrapping an arm around her and squeezing her close. She kisses her forehead then lets her go. "I'm _tired"_ Tori corrects. Jade stands and holds her hand out. Tori takes it and they walk to Jades room. Tori sits on her bed while Jade strips by the door. When Jade walks by to get to the dresser, Tori grabs her hips to stop her.

"I just waited for three hours to spend time with you, do you really think were going to bed?" She starts off stern but by the end shes scratching at Jades stomach above her boy shorts. Jade grins slyly and leans down to kiss her, but Tori backs up out of her reach. Jade follows her on her knees, crawling towards her until Toris back hits the head board.

Jade slides onto her lap but before she can kiss her, Toris talking. "Now don't get any ideas, I meant now we have time to talk." She teases. Jade groans and finally connects their lips. After a few seconds Tori brakes it off. "I mean it." She giggles. "Don't tease me..." Jade mumbles, kissing under her jaw. "I'm not. I'm serious." Jade kisses up to her chin then meets her eyes. "Super serious." Jade snorts.

Silence. Jades eyes are saucers, and Toris smile is the size of Texas. "That was-" "Don't." Jade interjects. "the cutest-" Jade tries to cover her mouth but Tori holds her wrists. "-sound I've ever heard!" Tori coos. Jade rolls off her and smothers her face in a pillow. Tori follows her and puts her knees in either side of her back. She hoists her waist up and wraps her arms around her middle, then rests chin on her shoulder. "I mean, I thought I loved you when I heard you fart for the first time." Jade lifts her head "Oh my god shut up" and drops it.

"I wanna hear it again.." Tori whispers. She kisses the back of Jades neck and sits up. "Turn around?" She requests. Jades arm twists and taps her thigh. Tori lifts herself up and Jade turns underneath her. Tori settles on her hips and beams down at her. She curls her hands behind her neck and stokes it the way she likes. Jades eyes close as she relaxes.

"How come I've never heard you laugh like that..." She wonders aloud. Her eyes soak up Jades flawless skin. "I guess you're not as funny as you think you are." Jade gives an evil smile, while Tori narrows her eyes and pricks Jades neck. Jade gasps and Toris mind switches gears. She keeps Jade happy with one hand while the other slides down her neck. She traces under Jades bra, and her hips twitch.

Tori relishes the movement beneath her. "You're so sensitive" she muses. "Dude, shut up. _I'm_ serious." Jade says. Tori laughs and bends down, kissing her ardently. Her hands slide under Jades bra and shes rewarded when Jades hips buck again. Tori bites her lip and pulls, then quickly reaches their lips. She squeezes the flesh in her hands eagerly and presses back against Jades hips when they buck again.

The kiss breaks while the both suck in air desperately. Tori sits up again and grabs the hem of her shirt. She pauses and looks up at Jade. Shes staring back at her, biting her lip with clear anticipation. Toris grin splits her face and she lifts her top over her head. Jades hands skim up and down her stomach before she rests them on the button of her jeans.

Her eyes flick to Toris for a second as she undoes her pants. Tori rolls off her and shimmies them down her legs. Jade watches her, eyes alive with excitement. Tori climbs over her, hands on either side of her head. She tilts her head playfully while Jades hands rest on her hips.

Tori gives hers her short but deep kisses, their lips smacking together, in all honesty, sloppily. Jade squeezes her hips then yanks her down, pulling Tori flush against her. She rolls them over and their legs tangle together. Their tongues battle for dominance until Tori surrenders, albeit happily. Her fingers sink into the depth of Jades hair as shes kissed senseless.

Eventually Jade releases her lips in favor of her gorgeous tan skin. Toris hold on her hair tightens while she leaves open mouthed kisses down her throat. She yanks her roots painfully when she bites. "Sorry.." Tori pants releasing her hair. If Jade was capable of speech in this state she'd tell her not to worry. Instead she flips her hair over her shoulder and keeps sucking down her chest.

She clocks the bras hook in the front, and covers it with her mouth. She turns her head and bites the clasp, then pushes them undone with her tongue. Her bra springs loose and Jade licks up the valley between her breasts. Toris hands wrap around her neck. "God, Jade..." She pants.

Jades hand skims down the flat plain of her stomach and stops at the top of her panties. She teases her nipple with broad strokes of her tongue as her hand slides past the waist band. Tori sucks in a breath and her eyes shoot to the ceiling. Jade pushes a finger into her and Tori mewls. She keeps a steady pace inside her, and Tori tugs on her neck. Jade obeys and kisses her gently.

After a while Tori moans are too frequent to keep kissing. Jade kisses her nose and resigns herself to sucking on where her neck meets her shoulder. She adds another digit and Tori trembles. Her hips meet Jades pace until they finally still. When she opens her eyes Jade is looking down at her, expression unreadable.

She reaches a hand out and strokes her cheek. "What're you thinking about?" Jade shrugs. "Come on, you never tell me what you're thinking." She says smiling. Jade shrugs again, laying her head on Toris chest. "What are you thinking about?" She asks quietly. Toris heart is still beating quickly beneath her. Tori sighs and puts her hand on Jades head. "You, of course." Her other arm slides over her middle and Jades hand lays on her bicep. "How much I like you." Jade scratches her arm. " _Love_ you." Tori corrects.

A few moments of silence. "So, what about you?" Jade thinks. "I...wanna hear you sing." Tori smiles. "Any requests?" Jade closes her eyes, and her eyebrows scrunch up in thought. "Um...video games." She decides.

The lasts thing Jade hears before she falls asleep is Toris perfect voice, hoarse from love, lulling her. "It's you... its you... It's all for you. Every...thing... I do..."


	14. Chapter 14

Tori closes the heavy door and steps into the alley. She takes off her visor and tugs her apron over her head, then does a quick stretch before sitting on the steps and taking out her phone. She dials Jades number and smiles fondly at her contact photo: A picture of Jade with her hair pulled back, showing off the necklace Tori had just given her for their 6 month anniversary a few weeks ago.

After a few rings it goes to voice mail. "Hey baby, I just wanted to let you know I'm gonna be home late. I just talked to Ray and he needs me all night. If you get this before you leave, can you stop by the shop on your way home? Make it easy on me? Okay well, I love you. Bye." _Click._

She sighs and rubs the December chill from her arms.

...

When Jade enters the small, mom and pop restaurant, she's greeted by a mix of hearty Italian aromas. The bell above the door alerts Tori to her presence, and she smiles broadly as Jade approaches the counter. "Hey cutie." She greets, lifting herself over the cash register to peck Jades lips before dropping back down. "What'll it be?" She asks, taking a pen from above her ear and picking up an order sheet.

Jade tilts her head. "Guess." She deadpans. Tori chuckles and scribbles down Jades usual, then passes it to Ray through the window. His eyes scan the order for only a second. "Yeah yeah, its Jade." He tells the rest of the kitchen staff, then crumples the ticket and tosses it.

Jade sits in Toris section and waits for her food. When its ready Tori brings it out to her, along with another plate. She sits down opposite Jade and starts shoveling a good amount of her meal onto the empty plate. She hands Jade her food then starts to woof down her portion, and Jade just watches and shakes her head.

"So, new years is almost here." Jade says casually. Tori swallows a huge bite of pasta, then wipes the sauce off her face. "God, I can't even think about new years. I barely made it through Christmas." Jade eyes narrow and she doesn't speak right away. "So...no parties or anything?" Tori reaches across the table and squeezes her hand. "No, Jade. We can stay in if you want." She smiles, but Jade looks...disappointed?

"That's good news, right?" Jade shrugs. "Do you...wanna go out?" Tori asks. Jade shrugs again. After months of nonverbal hissy fits, Toris learned how to handle Jades delicate ego. "Jade, stop being a baby and say what you want." Jade exhales loudly but speaks. "I...would like to... have a... party." She says, unsure. "That face isn't making this any easier."

Toris shock eases into an amused grin. "Sorry, keep going." Jade nods. "I don't know. I figure you'll want to be with your friends." Tori rolls her eyes. "Jade, their your friends too."

"That's unfounded." She quips quickly. "But, I wouldn't mind celebrating with them" she leans closer "...and Beck...and you..." She spreads her fingers, and Toris hand on top of hers fills in the gaps "something bubbly..."

Tori's laugh banishes the last of her reserves and Jade smiles contentedly as Tori spends the rest of her brake spouting party ideas between mouthfuls of food.

...


	15. Chapter 15

Jade fidgets nervously and checks the time again. 11:54. She takes a deep breath and surveys the room. Their little apartment is almost filled with their friends and family. Jade knew she could handle their friends, but when Tori asked if her parents could come, she just couldn't say no to her. This for her, after all.

She doesn't realize she's staring until Tori waves at her, and she's reminded of when they first met. She's finished her conversation with Andre and his date and she's walking towards her with that sloping smile reserved for Jade. 'God, I love that smile' she thinks.

Every time she thought she'd made a mistake buying this ring, everytime she worried she was moving too fast, she'd think of that smile and realize it doesn't matter. Early or not, these feeling are real, _right._ She takes Jades hand and squeezes "Hey, are you alright?"

"Perfect." She shakes her head, trying to knock herself out of it. "I'm perfect." She finally smiles back. Tori takes her other hand "Agreed." And kisses her. They separate when Toris father clears his throat. "This is a fine party girls." He says formally. Toris mom laughs as she walks up next to him and hands him a drink. "Relax sweetheart. So Jade, hows the new project going?" She asks, taking his arm. "So great. We've already shot the opening scene."

She's only met Toris parents a handful of times, but its clear where Tori gets her amazing social skills. Holly Vega may be one of the only people, besides her daughter, who can truly make Jade comfortable. "Barbra, did you know that?" She calls to Jades mom.

"Know what?" Jade parents saunter over "Jades already shot the first scene of her movie!" Jade blushes at the ground. "Its not my movie..." She mumbles. "That's my girl." Says her dad, clamping a large hand on her shoulder. Tori squeezes her hand again "I've already watched it like ten times, I can't wait till its finished." Their huddles broken up when the rest of the party starts chanting along with the Tv displaying the ball drop.

 **"10...9!"**

Jade swallows the lump in her throat.

 **"8...7!"** Tori looks away from the television when Jade lets go of her hand.

 **"6...5!"** Her confusion melts into shock as Jade takes a knee in front of her.

 **"4...3!"** Jade pulls out a small velvet box, and Toris hands cover her mouth.

 **"2...1! Happy New Year!"**

She flips open the lid as chaos erupts around them. The air is filled with colorful confetti and the sound of party horns. Slowly, every comes to notice their position and silence reigns, save for a few gasps.

"Tori, I know its early, but I love you and-and" she starts the speech she's been practicing with Beck for the past month, but she didn't prepare for all these people staring at her and she stutters. She closes her eyes and breathes, but she can feel their eyes on her and her stomach flips. When she opens her eyes Tori is bending down in front of her. She places a hand on the back of Jade neck and strokes. With that and Toris eyes looking deeply into hers, she finds her words again.

"I know its early, but I love you, and you love me. You're everything I need, you make me better. And I can't...I don't _want_ to imagine my life without you. We..." She hesitates again, but only for a second. "We belong together." She says with conviction. Tears spring from Toris eyes and Jade doesn't realize she's crying too until Tori brushes a track off her cheek.

"Will you marry me?" Tori nods "Yes. Yes." Her voice is barely a whisper. She closes the short distance between them and the room erupts with applause. She helps her stand and Jade slides the ring on her finger. Jade wipes Toris face while she stares at her hand. Eventually she manages to look away and up at Jade. "I love you..." The tears start again. She holds Toris face in her hands and wipes them away with her thumbs. "I love you too, monkey." And they kiss again.

Trina hastily wipes her own tears away as Beck approaches. "That was a beautiful, huh?" Trina nods, still watching her sister. "You know...I totally helped." Trina finally looks at him. "Really?" "Yup, Beckett." He holds out a hand. 'Jades friend' she thinks. "Im Trina." She shakes his hand and smiles up him.

...

A/N The end. Thank you for the reviews, it was literally my whole motivation.


	16. Epilogue

A/N Boo

...

Taking Jades anxiety (and their severe lack of funds) into account, they settled on a small outdoor wedding. So here they are, in Toris aunts backyard in Connecticut. Their families mixed together (Toris idea) in the lawn chairs they rented for the occasion. Jade, Tori, and a Justice of the Peace stand in front of them.

Tori looks absolutely beautiful. Her hair is in its natural wavy state, and a crown of flowers sits daintily on her head. Her wedding gown, a white flowing thing, is simple, yet lovely. Jades is similar to hers, but its a deep purple with short lace sleeves. She's also wearing a flower crown (Toris idea) but its slightly askew. Tori laughs quietly over the Justices speaking and fixes it for her. Jade smiles fondly and mouths _thank you._

Out of habit, the Justice finishes with "You may now, kiss the bride." Toris eyebrows gather in confusion but Jade just ducks her head and captures her lips. Their friends and family cheer behind them. She thinks about what they just did, and she looses her self a little bit. When they pull back Toris hair is a little mussed, and her crown is off center. Jade blushes and corrects it.

...

Jade got to choose the song for their first dance. She picked 'She says' by Zach Deputy. It's slow, sweet, and island-y. It fits the relaxed theme of their wedding perfectly.

Jades arm is wound tight around Toris waist, their hands clasped together as the sway lightly. Tori gently lays her head on Jades chest, an the older girl swoons. Her heart beats violently inside of her ribs and she marvels contentedly 'I just married my best friend _._ '

If she wasn't Jade shed be crying. Instead she smiles endearingly at her wife's small swaying form. 'My _wife!_ ' Her heart seizes again and she holds Tori a little tighter. She looks at their joined hands and the silver bands that now adorn them. "Tori." She calls, not looking away. Tori lifts her head gingerly, and she sees where Jades focus is. She gently kisses her cheek and answers with a hum.

"Were _married."_ Jade giggles. Tori laughs softly. "I know right?" Jade meets her eyes "Finally." She finishes. Jade feels the need to cry again, so she gives Tori a sweet kiss to keep the tears at bay. She lingers on her lips after, enjoying the closeness; Toris nose brushing against hers, her breath fanning out over her face. Tori presses their lips together a few more times, each time punctuated by her soft laughter as she kisses love from different angles.

The song ends and Tori starts to pull away, but Jade uses their still joined hands to tug her back, instantly rejoining their lips when she's back in her grasp. Tori smiles behind the kiss, but nips her lip. Jade lets out a small squeak and pulls back. Tori smirks at her and pulls away again, disappearing into the crowd, then returning a few moments later with their fathers in tow.

Jades dad sweeps her away, and she takes solace in the fact that Tori looks contrastingly happy in her fathers arms, whispering and laughing. "How're you feeling, kiddo?" Ever since she came out, her dads pet names went from 'princess' and 'sweetheart' to 'sport' and 'buddy'. And damn if she didn't love it. Tori was right, she's no princess.

'Tori' she thinks. "Wonderful." He pulls back and meets her eyes. "Really?" He asks smiling. "Yeah." She nods, and lays her head on his chest. "I'm really...really happy." She smiles and inhales his cologne. Images from her childhood flood her mind, she hasn't been this close to him since she was little. "That's great sport." She rolls her eyes and hugs him tighter.

...

When the song ends she thanks her father for the dance and begins searching for Tori. Something upbeat starts playing and their guests fill the yard with lively dancing. She doesn't see Tori, but she spots Trina and Beck dancing terribly with each other. She chuckles at their aggressive movements and approaches them.

"Have you seen Tori?"

"What?" Trina yells over the loud music, still jutting and twisting.

"Your sister, have you seen her?" Jade shouts more clearly.

"What?" Trina shouts, amidst 'dropping it'.

'Oh forget it.' She's had enough of being crowded anyways, and her distraction is god knows where, so she heads towards the unoccupied house. She slides the glass door closed and turns to face the kitchen, where someone is rifling through the fridge.

"Tori?" She asks hopefully. The fridge door closes and reveals Tori, mouth full and looking guilty as ever. "Tori" she scolds softly, brushing the crumbs from the corner of her mouth. "The food'll be out in like, 10 minutes baby. What are you doing?"

"M ungry nah"

"What?" Jade chuckles. Tori swallows and speaks again. "I'm hungry now." She whines. Jade rolls her eyes before cupping her face pecking her lips. "How bout now?" Toris face scrunches up, "I'm still hungry..." "Nothing else?" Jades eyes drop to her lips, then return to her eyes. Tori smirks "Maybe something else..." Jades starts to back Tori up by her hips. "Maybe?" She asks sternly.

"Yeah, maybe." Tori chuckles as her back collides with the wall. Jades eyebrows dig down and she kisses her again, but this ones filled with passion.

"How about _now?_ " She pants, out of breath. Toris mouth hangs open, and she can't really speak right now. Jade gives a short, triumphant laugh and connects their lips again. When they part, they keep their eyes closed, foreheads touching for a while. Jade rubs little circles on her hips through the fabric of her dress, completely content.

"Tell me" Tori starts, rousing Jade from her blissful state. She opens her eyes and sees Tori bite her lip before continuing. "Tell me you love me?" She asks quietly. Jade takes her face in her hands again.

"Tori West, I love you."

Tori opens her eyes and smiles appreciatively. "I know. I just really like hearing it." She shakes her head in Jades hands dismissively. "I know, monkey. I know." She assures her. "I like saying it." She smiles and closes her eyes again. "Mrs. Tori West. Ooh gives me shivers." She shakes Tori and and they giggle wildly. When Tori calms down, her eyebrows dig down despite the mega watt smile of her face. "Oh I love you..." she strokes Jades cheek and smiles wider. "Mrs. West." She finishes.

...

The end. For real this time. Probably...


End file.
